South Africans account for nearly all U.S. refugee admissions this fiscal year, and most of the 4,499 arrivals are from the country. Only three refugees came from countries other than South Africa, per the Christian Science Monitor. The outcome aligns with President Donald Trump’s focus on prioritizing white Afrikaners amid overall restrictions on refugee admissions.
Why did Trump cap U.S. refugee admissions?
In October, Blavity reported that the White House released a notice stating that the Trump administration would cap refugee admissions at 7,500 for fiscal year 2026. The announcement also stated that the majority of the slots would go to white Afrikaners.
“The admissions numbers shall primarily be allocated among Afrikaners from South Africa pursuant to Executive Order 14204, and other victims of illegal or unjust discrimination in their respective homelands. Refugee admissions under this determination, which may reach but not exceed the numerical limit described herein, are in all respects subject to the requirements of other presidential policies and actions, whether issued prior or subsequent to this determination,” the notice stated.
The Biden administration resettled more than 100,000 refugees in the United States, marking the largest annual number in three decades, according to a 2024 notice from then-Secretary of State Anthony J. Blinken. On the first day of his second term, Trump signed an executive order to eliminate the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program. He stated that the country had been “inundated with record levels of migration” under the initiative.
Episcopal Church responds to taking in white Afrikaners: ‘We are not able to take this step’
Trump faced backlash after ending the refugee program, as many, including the Episcopal Church, criticized the administration for prioritizing white Afrikaners and classifying them as refugees, according to Blavity.
The administration had advised the Episcopal Church that to keep their federal grant, they were expected to resettle white Afrikaners from South Africa. However, the church ended its refugee resettlement grant by the end of the federal fiscal year in September 2025.
“In light of our church’s steadfast commitment to racial justice and reconciliation and our historic ties with the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, we are not able to take this step. Accordingly, we have determined that, by the end of the federal fiscal year, we will conclude our refugee resettlement grant agreements with the U.S. federal government,” the church stated in a notice.
In February 2025, Trump terminated aid to South Africa in reaction to the country’s unfair treatment of its minority white Afrikaner population. His proposal to resettle the Afrikaners faced criticism from the ethnic group, which condemned Trump for labeling them as refugees, Blavity reported.